Device and method for reducing wind resistance power of large geotechnical centrifuge

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11944986-B2
Application number	US-201916961696-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 5, 2019
Priority date	Jul 19, 2019
Publication date	Apr 2, 2024
Grant date	Apr 2, 2024

Abstract

A device and a method for reducing wind resistance power of a large geotechnical centrifuge are provided. A semicircular tube cylindrical cooling device is provided between an internal side of a high-speed rotor system and a cylindrical shell. A serpentine top semicircular tube cooling plate is provided right above a hanging basket, and return helium gas inlet holes are provided at a center of the top semicircular tube cooling plate. A helium gas in a helium gas storage tank passes through helium gas outlets on the helium gas inlet pipes, and enters a centrifuge chamber from a bottom sealing plate. The helium gas is used to replace air in the centrifuge chamber to reduce the wind resistance power and corresponding energy consumption. No vacuuming is required, so sealing requirements are lower. Heat dissipation equipment is placed inside the centrifuge chamber, and a helium gas circulation wind duct is added.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device for reducing wind resistance power, comprising: a cylindrical shell ( 10 ), a top sealing plate ( 20 ) whose bottom is equipped with a top semicircular tube cooling plate ( 41 ), a bottom sealing plate ( 7 ), and a vibration isolation gasket ( 18 ), which all together form a centrifuge chamber; wherein:
a high-speed rotor system ( 30 ) is enclosed in the centrifuge chamber; a semicircular tube cylindrical cooling device ( 11 ) is installed between an internal side of the cylindrical shell ( 10 ) and the high-speed rotor system ( 30 ); a bottom end of a main shaft ( 12 ) of the high-speed rotor system ( 30 ) extends out of the bottom sealing plate ( 7 ) after passing through a bottom bearing sealing cover ( 4 ) and a bottom bearing system ( 3 ), and then is sequentially connected to a coupling ( 2 ) and a motor ( 1 ); the main shaft ( 12 ) and the bottom bearing sealing cover ( 4 ) are sealed by a main shaft dynamic seal; an upper end of the main shaft ( 12 ) of the high-speed rotor system ( 30 ) passes through the top semicircular tube cooling plate ( 41 ), the top sealing plate ( 20 ), an top bearing system ( 23 ) and a top bearing sealing cover ( 22 ), and then is connected to an instrument compartment ( 24 ); the main shaft ( 12 ) of the high-speed rotor system ( 30 ) and the top sealing plate ( 20 ) are sealed by another main shaft dynamic seal; the top bearing sealing cover ( 22 ) and the bottom bearing sealing cover ( 4 ) are fixed to respective bearing seats by bolts ( 21 );
the top bearing system ( 23 ) is located in a circular support ring ( 35 ) of a top bearing system support device ( 19 ), and the circular support ring ( 35 ) is rigidly connected to a connection pad ( 49 ) through a plurality of top bearing support beams ( 34 ); the connection pad ( 49 ) is fixed on side concrete ( 8 );
each of two external ends of a centrifuge rotating arm ( 14 ) of the high-speed rotor system ( 30 ) is equipped with a hanging basket ( 13 ); the top semicircular tube cooling plate ( 41 ) has a serpentine semicircular tube ( 26 ) located right above the hanging basket ( 13 ); a plurality of top center return helium gas inlet holes ( 46 ) are provided at a center of the top semicircular tube cooling plate ( 41 );
a coolant inlet pipe ( 28 ), a coolant outlet pipe ( 43 ) and a side door ( 37 ) are provided on a sidewall of the cylindrical shell ( 10 ); the coolant inlet pipe ( 28 ) communicates with an upper liquid collecting pipe ( 16 ); the upper liquid collecting pipe ( 16 ) is connected through a coolant distribution tube ( 27 ) to a top coolant inlet ( 39 ) of the top semicircular tube cooling plate ( 41 ) and atop liquid inlet ( 52 ) of the semicircular tube cylindrical cooling device ( 11 ); the coolant outlet pipe ( 43 ) communicates with a lower liquid collecting pipe ( 9 ); the lower liquid collecting pipe ( 9 ) is connected through a coolant collecting pipe ( 29 ) to a top coolant outlet ( 40 ) of the top semicircular tube cooling plate ( 41 ) and a bottom liquid outlet ( 53 ) of the semicircular tube cylindrical cooling device ( 11 ); the upper liquid collecting pipe ( 16 ) is installed on an upper liquid collecting pipe bracket ( 15 ), and the lower liquid collecting pipe ( 9 ) is installed on a lower liquid collecting pipe bracket ( 48 );
a bottom end of the semicircular tube cylindrical cooling device ( 11 ) is connected to a corner transition plate ( 44 ), and a bottom gap ( 45 ) with a height of no more than 10 mm is reserved between the corner transition plate ( 44 ) and the bottom sealing plate ( 7 ); a helium gas inside the centrifuge chamber passes through the bottom gap ( 45 ) from a high wind pressure area at a bottom of the hanging basket ( 13 ), and then sequentially passes through the semicircular tube cylindrical cooling device ( 11 ) and the top semicircular tube cooling plate ( 41 ); after heat exchange with the serpentine semicircular tube ( 26 ), the helium gas returns to the centrifuge chamber through the top center return helium gas inlet holes ( 46 ); after being mixed with a high temperature helium gas, the helium gas is pushed into the semicircular tube cylindrical cooling device ( 11 ) by a high-speed centrifuge rotor to complete a cycle;
a helium gas storage tank ( 33 ) is connected to an automatic control valve ( 32 ) through a pipe, and then connected to a plurality of helium gas inlet pipes ( 31 ) through the pipe; after passing through the automatic control valve ( 32 ), the helium gas enters the centrifuge chamber through helium gas outlets ( 38 ) on the helium gas inlet pipes ( 31 ).

2. The device, as recited in claim 1 , wherein an open end of the vibration isolation gasket ( 18 ) is located in a groove on atop surface of a cylindrical shell flange ( 17 ), and is in close contact with the groove; the top surface of the vibration isolation gasket ( 18 ) is in close contact with a bottom surface of the top sealing plate ( 20 ) on the top bearing system support device ( 19 ); the vibration isolation gasket ( 18 ) is higher than the top surface of the cylindrical shell flange ( 17 ); an inflation port ( 42 ) is provided at a bottom portion of the groove on the top surface of the cylindrical shell flange ( 17 ).

3. The device, as recited in claim 1 , wherein a lifting hole ( 25 ) is drilled on the top bearing system support device ( 19 ), and a top end of the lifting hole ( 25 ) is sealed and covered by a lifting hole cover plate ( 50 ).

4. The device, as recited in claim 1 , wherein the top semicircular tube cooling plate ( 41 ) is formed by several blocks, and each of the blocks of the top semicircular tube cooling plate is provided with a closed coolant circulation circuit formed by the top coolant inlet ( 39 ), the top coolant outlet ( 40 ) and the serpentine semicircle tube ( 26 ).

5. The device, as recited in claim 1 , wherein the semicircular tube cylindrical cooling device ( 11 ) comprises a plurality of arc-shaped cooling units which are assembled into a complete cylinder; each of the arc-shaped cooling units comprises an arc-shaped side plate ( 51 ), the serpentine semicircular tube ( 26 ) welded to an external side of the arc-shaped side plate ( 51 ), the top liquid inlet ( 52 ), and the bottom liquid outlet ( 53 ), wherein a complete circulation circuit is formed from the top liquid inlet ( 52 ) to the bottom liquid outlet ( 53 ); the top liquid inlet ( 52 ) communicates with the upper liquid collecting pipe ( 16 ), and the bottom liquid outlet ( 53 ) communicates with the lower liquid collecting pipe ( 9 ).

6. The device, as recited in claim 1 , wherein the bottom sealing plate ( 7 ) is welded or riveted to bottom concrete ( 6 ) by a reinforcement ( 5 ) pre-buried in the bottom concrete ( 6 ); a plurality of bottom exhaust pipes ( 36 ) and a plurality of bottom exhaust pipe valves ( 54 ) are provided at a bottom of the centrifuge chamber; the bottom exhaust pipes ( 36 ) penetrate the bottom concrete ( 6 ) and the bottom sealing plate ( 7 ).

7. The device, as recited in claim 1 , wherein the top bearing system ( 23 ) is supported by the circular support ring ( 35 ) and the top bearing support beams ( 34 ) fixed on the circular support ring ( 35 ), and is connected to the connection pad ( 49 ); the connection pad ( 49 ) is fixed on the side concrete ( 8 ); the top bearing support beams ( 34 ) are symmetrically distributed.

8. The device, as recited in claim 1 , wherein materials of the semicircular tube cylindrical cooling device ( 11 ) and the top semicircular tube cooling plate ( 41 ) are aluminum alloy, copper, stainless steel, or mild steel.

Assignees

• Univ Zhejiang

Inventors

• Zheng Chuanxiang
• Wei Shuang
• Zhou Haifeng

Classifications

• B04B15/02 Primary

  for cooling, heating, or heat insulating · CPC title

• B04B3/00 Primary

  Centrifuges with rotary bowls in which solid particles or bodies become separated by centrifugal force and simultaneous sifting or filtering · CPC title

• B04B7/06

  Safety devices {; Regulating} · CPC title

• B04B7/08

  Rotary bowls (centrifugal casting machines B22D) · CPC title

• B04B15/08

  for ventilating or producing a vacuum in the centrifuge · CPC title